1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to personal grooming devices and, more particularly, to toe and finger nail clippers.
Nail clippers, the term herein including either toe or finger nail type of clippers, are generally well known.
Nail clippers have certain problems. For example, prior art designs tend to spray the clippings into a room. The clippings may be sharp and can even spread infection. Therefore, it is desirable to contain clippings.
However, prior art nail clippers include a center post that engages with a pivoting lever. The pivoting lever, pressing upon a ridge in the center post applies pressure to the clipper sufficient to urge a pair of opposite sides, and therefore also the blades, toward one-another during use.
The center post, though necessary, provides an obstruction that certain of the clippings inevitably must impact. The clippings bounce off of the center post and are scattered. Any prior art type of modification intended to retain the clippings has proven to be ineffective when they are bouncing off of the center post.
Other prior-art types of nail clippers do not fold sufficiently flat for storage. Others do not apply leverage that can create sufficient force to cut through difficult nails without requiring a great deal of force by the user.
Additionally, prior art nail clippers include considerable metal that has been machined. This is considerably more expensive than plastic, for example. However, all prior art designs have heretofore included a fully functional metallic nail clipper, with perhaps plastic surround components as well. This has been expensive.
There is a need to an inexpensive nail clipper. There is a need for a disposable nail clipper that is also inexpensive. Such a device could be given away at finer hotels or sold for minimum cost. It could also be a free item that included advertising, for example.
Nail clippers are expensive because of the machining that is required to manufacture the metal portions thereof. The top and bottom blades must not only be cut to a fine edge, but they must align precisely. It is relatively inexpensive to make a blade, but the manufacture of two blades that mesh precisely together, is what drives up the cost of manufacture.
Also, because nail clippers include so much metal, they are detected at airport security checks and often result in the searching of personal sundries that would not otherwise be so scrutinized. They may even be confiscated as a potentially dangerous weapon, which of course is a debatable assessment, but if confiscated it leaves the person without a nail clipper when they reach their destination. It is desirable to include so little metal with a nail clipper that it does not register as a potential threat during airport check-in procedures.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a nail clipper with blade-insert that helps ameliorate the above-mentioned and other difficulties.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Nail clippers are, in general, known. While the structural arrangements of the above described known types of devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.